Rail joint



i A W a M M WW w Q 7 H M flm W x mm June 14, 1932. J. A. McGREW RAIL JOINT Filed Feb. 18, 1951 Patented an. 14, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN \A. MCGREW, ALBANY, NEW YORK RAIL JOINT Application filed February 18, 1931. Serial No. 516,709.

This invention relates to rail joint constructions of the type used in connection with standard railroad rails, and more particularly to devices by means of which the abutting"ends of adjacent rail sections may be secured to each other and to the cross ties.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a novel and improved type of rail joint and supporting and retaining means therefor, by means of which there is produced a stronger, safer, and more easily and economically maintained track structure than those in general use at the present time.

In its preferred form, the present invention contemplates the provision, in a rail joint construction of this type, of means for more uniformly distributing the load on the tie plate or other rail support, and of means for providing adequate flexibility in the connections between the rails and the supporting means in order to permit practically unrestrained wavemotion in the rails, and at the same time to effectively prevent creepeveral features of the invention, whereby these and other advantages are realized, are the provision of a rail seat having a plurality of longitudinally cambered portions, the use of certain resilient fastening elements which are adapted to be applied to the abutting rail sections and the tie plate or ra l support in definite spacial relation to the cambered portions of the rail seat, and the combination of these features with the joint construction itself, wherein means are provided for permitting certain limited relative movements of the rail ends and also for permitting the almost noiseless passage of the wheels of a train over a joint.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

- In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a section of track in which is shown a rail joint and supporting structure embodying on the principles of the present invention;

Figure 4 is an end View of the rail joint construction with the cross ties omitted and a portion of the rail fastening means shown in section; and

Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 2.

In Figure 1, the adjacent rail sections are indicated at and 11. These rails are of standard shape and dimensions and are provided with the usual heads 12, webs 13, and base flanges 14. In the embodiment illustrated, the rails are supported at points remote from their ends upon the metal tie plates 15, and at their ends upon the joint tie plate 17, which in turn rests upon the wooden cross ties 16; although it is within the purview of this invention to employ cross ties formed of any other suitable material such as concrete or metal. Furthermore, in the event that metal cross ties are employed,

the particular construction of the rail seat and fastening means may be formed directly upon the upper surface of the metal ties instead of comprising the separately formed tie plates such as will be described in connection with the illustrated embodiment of this invention. I

The joint tie plate 17 is adapted to bridge the space between two or more cross ties and is centrally provided upon its lower surface with the truss or girder flange 35. The tie plate 17 is normally adapted to be secured to the cross ties 16 by means of lag screws 36 inserted through the perforations 37.

The rail joint proper is formed in substantially the manner disclosed in the applicants Patent No. 1,743,559, the head 12 and upper half of the web 13 being cut 'or scarfed diagonally and the lower half of the web 13 and the base flanges 14 being cut transversely of the length of the rail, as clearly indicated at in Figures 2 and 3. The rail ends are secured together by means of the reversible I '60 of the element 40.

5 of the rails at points spaced from the ends thereof are circular and are adaped to re ceive the bolts 22 with a slight clearance between the bolt and the margins of the perforations. The central perforation 24 which lies partly in the rail 10 and partly in the rail 11 is considerably larger in diameter than the central bolt 22. One of the end holes in each of the splice bars 21 is adapted to register with the adjacent circular hole 23 in the rail web while the other two holes 26 are of a substantially oval shape, the smaller diameters of which are of the same dimensions as the diameters of the perforations 23 3 and 25. It will be seen that when the splice bars are applied to the rails the circular holes will be at opposite ends of the oint. The

. clearances provided between the bolts and the holes in the rail web are designed to permit a limited relative movement of the rail 2 ends to allow for expansion and any other necessary adjustments of the rails.

The base flanges 14; pf the rails are adapted to be received upon the rail seat 30 formed on the upper surface of the tie plate 17 or 30 other supporting means between the longitudinally disposed ribs 31. As clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, the rail seat 30 is provided with a central raised surface 32 upon which the abutting ends of the 35 base flanges 14 are adapted to rest. Upon either side of this central raised portion are formed cambered portions which provide the ridges or peaks 33 upon which the base flanges 14 are adapted to be supported with I 49 substantially transverse line contacts.

As a means for securing the abutting rail ends to the .tie plate 17 or other support, there are provided the spring clips or fastening elements 40, which may take the form 45 of the substantially L-shaped metal plates as illustrated. The inner ends 41 of the clips are adapted to bear upon the upper surfaces of the base flanges 14 of the rails and the opposite ends are provided with the nar 0 rowed tongues 42 and shoulders 43. which are adapted to contact with a portion of the tie plate 17. A bolt 45 is adapted to pass through a perforation 46 formed in an intermediate portion of the fastening element 40 and is provided with a beveled head 47 .which is adapted to interlock with a portion of the tie plate 17. A nut 48 is adapted to be applied to the threaded. upper end of the bolt 45 and to bear upon the upper surface In connectionwith each ofthese fastening elements there is, rovided a substantially T shaped slot whic is formed in the tie plate .upon either side thereof. An intermediate portion of the slot to which the numeral 51 has been applied, is provided With opposite walls, the lower portions of which converge upwardly and the upper portions of which are vertical, as clearly shown in Figure 5. It will be understood that in applying the bolt 45, the beveled head 47 is first inserted in the relatively wide outer portion 50 of the slot and is then moved laterally into the in termediate portion 51 so that the beveled Walls of the head will contact with the converging walls of the slot portion 51 and thus interlock with the tie plate or rail supporting means.

A third portion of the slot, designated 52 passes also through the rib 3I'and provides means whereby an ordinary cut spike may be applied as an emergency securing means for the rail, in the event that the clip or fastening element 40 is broken as in the case of a derailment or other accident.

Anessential feature of the present invention is the positioning of the fastening eleand modifications may be made in the embodiments illustrated and described Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rail joint construction, a tie plate, a rail seat formed upon said tie plate and provided with a plurality of raised portions for supporting the adjacent rail sections, one of said portions comprising a plane surface adapted to support the abutting ends of said rail sections, and the other portions comprising transverse ridges providing substantial- 1y line contact between the rail-seat and the underside of the base flanges of said rail sections at points spaced from the abutting ends thereof, spring steel clips disposed upon each side of said rail sections, one end of each of said clips adapted to bear upon the upper This construction permits a flanges, and the otherend adapted to bear upon a portion of the tie plate, andbolts adapted to pass through the intermediate portions of said clips and to interlock with said tie plate.

2. In a rail joint, in combination, two abutting rail ends, a pair of splice bars disposed in the fishing spaces of said rail ends, securing means for said splice bars adapted to permit limited relative movement between said rail ends, a tie plate, a rail seat formed thereon and provided with longitudinally cambered portions, resilient rail fastening means disposed in transverse alignment with said cambered portions, whereby limited undulatory movement of the rails is permitted.

3. In a rail joint, in combination, two abutting rail ends, the heads of which are scarfed and the base flanges of which are finished normally to the length of the rail, a pair of splice bars disposed in the fishing spaces of said rail ends, securing means for said splice bars adapted to permit limited relative movement between said rail ends, a tie plate, a rail seat formed thereon and provided. with longitudinally cambered portions, resilient rail fastening means disposed in transverse alignment with said cambered portions, whereby limited undulatory movement of the rails is permitted.

4. In a rail joint construction, a rail seat provided with a plurality of longitudinally cainbered portions, each providing a trans verse ridge aflording substantially a line contact between said rail seat and the underside of the base flanges of one of the abutting rail sections, a resilient rail fastener disposed upon either side of the rail so as to bear upon the upper surface of a base flange substantially above said line of contact between the rail and seat, whereby limited undulatory motion of the rails relative to the rail seat is permitted.

5. In a rail joint construction, a rail seat provided with a plurality of longitudinally rnmbered portions, each providing a trans verse ridge affording substantially a line contact between said rail seat and the underside. of the base flanges of one of the abutting rail sections, rail fastening devices for securing the base flanges of the rails to said rail seat disposed substantially in transverse alignment with said lines of contact, whereby limited undulatory motion of the rails relative to the rail seat is permitted.

6. In a rail joint construction, a rail seat provided with a plurality of longitudinally cambered portions, each providing a transverse ridge aflording substantially a line contact between said rail seat and the underside of the base flanges of one of the abutting rail sections, whereby limited undulatory motion ofdthe rails relative to the rail seat is permitte.

7. In a rail joint construction, a rail seat provided with a plane contact surface for supporting the abutting ends of the adjacent rail sections, and two transverse ridges, each providing substantially a line contact between said rail seat and the underside of the base flange of one of said rail sections at a point spaced from the end of said section.

8. In a rail joint construction, a rail seat for supporting the abutting end portions of the adjacent rail sections,- said rail seat providing three distinct points ofcontactofsmall longitudinal extent with the undersides of the base flanges of said rail sections.

9. In a rail oint construction, a tie plate disposed so as to bridge the space between adjacent cross ties, a pair of ribs formed upon said tie plate, said ribs defining between them a rail seat having a plurality of cambered portions, each providing substantially a line contact between said rail seat and the underside of the base flanges of one of the abutting rails.

10. In a rail joint construction, a tie plate disposed so as to bridge the space between adjacent cross ties, a pair of ribs formed upon said tie plate, said ribs defining between them a rail seat having a plurality of raised portions for supporting the adjacent rail sections, one of said portions comprising a plane contact surface for the base flanges at the abutting ends of the rails, and the remaining portions comprising transverse ridges providing substantially line contacts between said rail seat and the undersides of the base flanges of the rails at points spaced from the ends thereof.

11. In a rail joint construction, a tie plate of T-section disposed so as to bridge the space between adjacent cross ties and provided with a longitudinally centrally disposed truss flange formed upon the underside thereof and interrupted at the ends of said plate where said cross ties occur, and a rail seat upon the upper surface of said tie plate providing a plurality of longitudinally spaced points of contact with the undersides of the base flanges of the abutting rail.

12. In a rail joint construction, a tie plate, a rail seat formed upon said tie plate and provided with a plurality of raised portions for supporting the adj acentlrail sections, one of said portions comprising a plane surface adapted to support the abutting ends of said rail sections, and the other portions comprising transverse ridges providing substantially line contact between the rail seat and the unalignment with said ridges for securing said rail sections to said tie plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

J OHN A. MoGREW. 

